8^th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Customs Directors Generals/Commissioners

Heraklion, 15 to 16 October 2009

Report

Enhanced cooperation between Customs of Asia and Europe

The 8^th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Customs DGs/Commissioners Meeting was held in Heraklion, (Crete, Greece) on 15 – 16 October 2009.

The Greek Customs Director General, Nikolaos Vernadakis welcomed the delegates and opened the meeting which took up five priorities: Trade facilitation and Supply Chain Security, Combating counterfeiting, Role of Customs in protecting society and the environment, Fight against fraud and Customs Cooperation/Capacity Building.

The meeting adopted the ASEM Trade Facilitation Action Plan on Customs Matters (TFAP) for 2010-2012, which include enhanced dialogue with business and exploration of the possibility to implement pre-arrival and pre-departure security declaration in line with SAFE Framework of Standards.

Speaking at the meeting, the WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, stated that the WCO increasingly works closely with regional groups and welcome the perfect synergy between the WCO and the biggest inter-regional group between Asia and Europe. The new TFAP emphasizes the promotion of the Harmonized System (HS) and the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC). He said: “I am particularly pleased that the meeting identified the Customs Business Partnership as priority which the WCO support with its new theme for the international Customs Day 2010, and our partnership with the private sector, including the Private Sector Consultative Group and various trade associations which are observers to the WCO meetings. The on-going cooperation on IPR enforcement between the two leading regions is also encouraging”.